XYZprinting's Pen Brings 3D Printing to Your Palm

By
Ben Radding9 Jan 2016, 4:55 a.m.

LAS VEGAS—I'm a terrible artist. I get the basic idea of stick figure drawing on a good day, maybe. So it was with a little trepidation that I tried out XYZprinting's 3D Pen, a device that lets you draw stick figures, houses, or anything you can think of, all in 3D. I gave it a try here at CES, and learned that as long as I could abide by the laws of physics, I could do it.

The 3D Pen looks like, well, a red pen with two buttons: Heat and Off. It weighs about as much as a standard ballpoint, except when it's plugged in it feels heavier. Plugging it in, which you have to do to use it, tugs the pen backward a bit, which can be distracting, but you get used to it.

Basically, the pen is fed filament ($25 per spool), and when you press the Heat button, the Pen will expend said filament in liquid form, cooling 10 to 20 seconds later, where it will become solid. In my case, the color was orange. The pen looks like it's dribbling when you first press the Heat button, but once you move your hand up or down it stabilizes. You have to start by moving up/down for any 3D picture you're drawing, obviously, so that whatever you draw will have a base. You don't need a computer or any software to use the 3D Pen.

As pointed out to me in my demo, it's typically a faster cooling process if it's less warm where you're drawing. It's not very cool anywhere at CES, which makes for major difficulty in using the Pen unless you have an incredibly steady hand. Once you get the hot filament at the angle and length that you want, you essentially have to hold it there until the liquid cools. You need a strong arm, since even slight movements will mess up your creation.

That said, I was capable of making a little house—well, half a dilapidated, small shack—while having some a fun doing it. In fact, I was a even proud of my tiny plastic home.

XYZprinting's 3D Pen ships later this quarter for an affordable $49, and is likely to be a hit with crafty kids and adults alike. Just be careful your fingers don't touch the tip of the pen. That thing is extremely hot.

Check back for a full review of the 3D Pen in the coming months, it will be interesting to see how it stacks up to WobbleWorks 3Doodler, which works similarly, but costs twice as much.

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About the Author

Raised in the Midwest, Ben considers himself a generally nice guy. He went to NYU to study journalism and comparative literature, and went on to captain the NYU Fencing Team. Sabre, since you asked. He came to PCMag after a stint at Men's Fitness magazine, where he tried to get totally jacked. He didn't. But he did find some time to review plenty of fitness trackers, tablets, and other cool gadgets. Outside of the office, you can find him at the last seat at the bar, where he'll be commenting anonymously on an Indianapolis Colts blog. See Full Bio